نگرش انتقادی از اجرای IFRS در اتحادیه اروپا
Abstract
1- Introduction
2- European policies for sustainable development: is there a role for financial reporting?
3- Economy and society in the IASB’S and EU’S views
4- Fair value accounting and long-term investments in the industry
5- Fair value accounting and stable finance for business
6- Fair value accounting and the codetermination system typical of social market economies
7- Discussion and conclusions
References
Abstract
By adopting a political economy perspective to accounting, this paper provides an overall post-implementation assessment of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption relative to the European Union’s (EU’s) fundamental goal of sustainable development. The paper questions the consistency of the International Accounting Standards Board’s business view with the EU’s and provides some critical insights into the potential long-run effects of IFRS on the European economy and society. Therefore, it raises several doubts about unquestioned accounting standardization at a global level and makes some suggestions for future policymaking and research.
Introduction
A decade has passed since the global financial crisis started in the United States (US). There is a wide consensus that this has been the worst crisis since the Great Depression (e.g., Draghi, 2016). In Europe, the crisis has led to major destruction of economic activities, dramatic job losses, and a rise in inequality and poverty. Unemployment, especially among young people, has reached unprecedented levels and welfare states have been constrained by low growth and stretched public finances (e.g., Pianta, 2015). The fragility shown by laissez-faire capitalism has raised wide debate on the need for alternative ways of doing business (European Commission, 2010). It is well established in the literature that the global financial crisis was caused by the availability of easy credit, short-termism, and excessive risk-taking in financial markets, which led to speculative behavior, bubble-driven growth, and significant imbalances (European Commission, 2010). By contrast, countries with higher shares of industry in their GDP have been more resilient to the crisis (e.g., Walz, 2015).1 A call for an industrial renaissance has therefore become quite strong in the European Union (EU), changing the policy discourse (e.g., Mazzucato, 2015). Political engagement in pursuit of economic recovery based on industry has never been greater (UNEP, 2015).